Aimee
“Shopping spree?”
The words just sort of slipped out.
“Excellent!”
She blinked. “What? I mean, okay, great!”
Rhys looked around. “Where is this spree of shopping, and how do I get one for you?”
The excitement turned immediately to laughter at both his eagerness and cluelessness. Part of her was frustrated at her quickness to forgive him. She should be angry for longer, a chance to really work up a good temper, to let it all out. Instead, he’d shown remorse and she’d been trigger-happy on the forgiveness.
He didn’t mean to hurt you though, you know that. It’s just old, old prejudices seeping through that he hasn’t yet learned to control. Humanity has come a long way in your mind; it’s been centuries. To him it was just a few days ago that he was exposed to the early indigenous tribes. You’re going to have to give him time.
The more she thought about it, the more remarkable it seemed that he was able to swing with the punches so ably. Aimee doubted a human plucked from a hundred years before would be so willing to admit that his ways were antiquated and obsolete. Perhaps his long lifespan necessitated the need for change, since he would have to do so over and over again to keep up with the much faster-paced human lifestyle?
“Aimee?”
She gave her head a tiny shake and focused on Rhys. “Yes?”
“Where do I get this spree?”
“Uh, it’s not a thing itself. It means that we go and I buy lots of clothes and things and you pay for it all.”
Rhys nodded slowly. “It would appear that we have finally discovered something that hasn’t changed much between my time and yours.” He laughed briskly, snagging her arm and resting her hand on his forearm.
She thought about fighting it, but the iron-like feel of his muscles under her fingers stopped her.
“Things were like that over here?” she asked, confused.
“No.” He started walking them toward the delicatessen that had been their original destination. “I once made a trip overseas, about a century after leaving my homeland. I stayed for perhaps ten, maybe twenty years. Not long, more of a visit, you know?”
She just nodded, trying to process the idea of a twenty year “visit” to anywhere.
“Anyway, the ladies in…what did you call it, Europe? Yes, they loved to buy new dresses and gowns and all sorts of things. I spent a goodly fortune trying to win the favor of one of them.”
Aimee worked her jaw, trying not to get upset at the mention of his previous conquests.
Get real, girl. He was alive for five hundred years. Do you really expect him to have remained a virgin? Don’t be a bitch, he’s not trying to regale you with tales of his prowess in bed, he’s simply trying to find a way to relate his life to your world.
“Truth be told though, she wasn’t nearly as beautiful as you.”
Her jaw dropped open at that proclamation. It was the first open flirtatious compliment that he’d given her. “Ah, thank you?” she stammered.
“Although, I must say, orange really isn’t your color.”
She’d just managed to wire her jaw shut when he dropped the other bomb on her, and she coughed several times.
“Orange?” The word finally croaked out, her voice sounding like a frog.
“Yes, you know, the outfit you wore the first time I saw you.”
“Oh, that.” She sighed in relief. “That’s my work outfit. It’s not meant to flatter. It’s for utility.”
Rhys stepped forward abruptly and snagged the door, holding it open. “After you,” he said with a gesture of his hand.
She stood up straighter and nodded her head as demurely as she could. Acting like a cultured lady was not exactly her forte. Cuss like a drunken sailor? Done. Drink for drink with the boys? Absolutely. Jump out of a helicopter with only a quarter-inch line holding her back from certain death? No hesitation. But act like someone of status, or even noble blood like he was probably used to interacting with? Good luck. She could curtsy without falling over. Probably.
Her dragon door-holder swept up beside her as they entered, and stopped abruptly.
“Problem?” she asked, coming to a halt beside him, not bothering to fight it as he snagged her arm again. Truthfully, she was coming to enjoy being on his arm. A number of other women had given her jealous looks, and she was lapping it up. It was so different than the normal looks she got, either for being tall or for how in shape she was. Neither of those looks were overly friendly, and these weren’t either, but the jealousy was a nice boost to her ego that she wasn’t too proud to deny herself.
“Ah, slightly.”
“The menu options are printed on the signs up behind the counter,” she told him, realizing he likely had no idea what to do. “Up here on the glass are some images of them.”
He picked up the process quickly and they sat down to eat, fresh sandwiches piled in front of them. Aimee had no idea what he would like, so she’d gotten him turkey, roast beef, and a meatball sub to top it off. She’d told him he only needed to eat what he liked, and had received a rather strange look in return.
“I guess you were hungry,” she said ten minutes later as the last of the meatball sub disappeared, leaving all the plates in front of him empty.
Not to be outdone, hers was empty as well, though to be fair, she’d only had the one sandwich to start.
“I feel like I haven’t eaten in centuries.” He patted his stomach. “That was delicious. Thank you for taking me to such a wonderful place. I can’t believe the selection!”
She grinned. “They’re all like that, you know.”
The look on his face was priceless. She savored it for quite some time. Rhys was going to like the future, she was positive of it.
It was the moments like this that were beginning to convince her that there was a decent person buried under his outer arrogance. What she needed to do was figure out what had caused him to develop such a grudge against humanity. Why he saw them as so…pathetic.
“Do all dragons view humans the way you do?” she asked, speaking low so as not to clue anyone else in to their conversation. “As next to nothing?”
He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Probably. We’re invulnerable to anything you can do, so it’s only natural to think that way, no?”
Aimee considered his words. “Are you sure about that?”
“Of course.”
She stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him after her. “Let’s go.”
Rhys yelped as he was dragged along in her wake.